Turkey Sloppy Joe Baked Potatoes. Kids and adults love these steamy, fluffy baked potatoes overflowing with a slightly spicy barbecue turkey filling and topped with melted sharp cheddar cheese.
Potatoes are usually relegated to a ho hum side dish. When I just want a throw it into the oven and forget about it side dish, a baked potato comes to mind.
These stuffed potatoes were inspired by a couple recipes I make on repeat for my personal chef clients. Classic twice baked potatoes and stuffed sweet potatoes are delicious side dishes.
But it's time to elevate the lowly potato to a stellar entrée.
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why you'll love this recipe
By embellishing the potato with a flavorful filling, the overstuffed root vegetable is catapults to center stage at dinner time. Stuffed with comfort food and twice baked livens up spuds from their typical boring status.
These loaded sloppy joe potatoes are overflowing with a delicious filling of slightly spicy and slightly sweet barbecue sauced ground turkey flecked with sautéed onion and jalapeno pepper. With a topping of cheddar jack cheese scallions and sour cream, the humble potato becomes a crazy good dinner!
ingredients & substitutions
Just gather the fresh and pantry ingredients and follow some simple recipe steps to make sloppy joe baked potatoes. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for the full quantities of the ingredients.
- Russet potatoes ~The king of the baking potatoes. Also try sweet or Yukon gold potatoes.
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt ~ The larger grain salt enhances the flavor of food without making it overly salty.
- Fresh ground pepper ~ More flavorful than already ground pepper.
- Ground turkey ~ In place of ground turkey use lean ground beef or chicken. Cooked and shredded chicken and pork are tasty alternatives too.
- Salted butter ~ Unsalted butter is an alternative.
- Yellow onion ~ Substitute Vidalia onion.
- Jalapeno pepper
- Ketchup
- Light brown sugar ~ Dark brown sugar can also be used.
- Worcestershire sauce
- Hot sauce
- Dijon mustard ~ Or yellow mustard.
- Sharp cheddar cheese ~ Instead of sharp cheddar cheese, use mozzarella, Swiss, Colby Jack or jalapeno jack.
- Scallions
- Sour cream
recipe instructions
You'll love having these types of recipes in your repertoire. They can be whipped up for an easy weeknight dinner that gets your family's attention. This is a brief overview of the recipe. Scroll to the recipe card for the complete instructions.
Bake potatoes until a knife easily pierces them.
Make sloppy joe mixture. Sauté onions and jalapenos. Brown ground turkey. Add sloppy joe sauce ingredients.
Cut open baked potatoes. Fill with sloppy joe meat mixture.
Sprinkle cheese on top of each potato. Bake in a hot oven until bubbly and heated through.
Hint 1: Ensure the baked potatoes are well seasoned and have crispy skins. Before baking, season them with olive oil and generously with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. This step will make the skins nice and crispy.
Hint 2: The homemade sloppy joe sauce allows you to control the sweetness and spiciness in the dish. But if you're in a rush, substitute ⅔ cup (a little more or a little less) of favorite store brought barbecue sauce instead.
expert tip
I'm a big fan of using a digital thermometer to check for when foods are cooked or heated to perfection. When reheating stuffed baked potatoes, the internal temperature should be about 150 degrees F.
can make stuffed potatoes in advance?
YES! YES! Sloppy Joe Baked Potatoes are ideal to make advance. Refrigerate them up to 3 days or freeze them for up to 2 months. The details are below.
- Wrap the prepared and cooled potatoes in plastic wrap and put in a resealable bag. Store in the fridge or freezer.
- When it's time to reheat them bring the potatoes to room temperature. Place the refrigerated potatoes on the counter for about 30 minutes. If frozen, thaw potatoes overnight in the fridge. Then place on the counter for 30 minutes before reheating.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Unwrap potatoes and place them on a baking sheet.
- Heat in the oven for 25 to 35 minutes or until heated through.
frequently asked questions
Poking holes in potatoes allows the steam to escape while they're baking. Otherwise they may explode in the oven.
Some of these tasty additions include cole slaw, pickle slices or crumbled bacon. Add a fried egg for a breakfast or brunch option.
what to serve with the potatoes
Add this sauteed sweet corn salad with bacon or an easy cauliflower rice pilaf as side dishes.
more family favorite dinner recipes
- Easy and Delicious Beef Enchiladas
- Creamy Chicken and Kale Casserole
- Mom's Meatloaf ~ Simply the Best!
- Instant Pot BBQ Brisket Sandwiches
- Sheet Pan Cheeseburger Sliders
- Three Cheese, Spinach and Italian Sausage Lasagna
just one more thing
If you make these sloppy joe baked potatoes, I'd love hearing from you all.
Be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ~ I do my best to reply to all your comments. And snap a photo to post to Instagram. I'll add the photos to my Insta stories as I love seeing all your creations.
Also check out my Facebook and Pinterest pages for lots of fabulous foodie stories and videos, cooking tips, and recipes.
Recipe
Sloppy Joe Baked Potatoes Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 medium sized russet potatoes
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 medium onion diced about 1 cup
- 1 medium jalapeno pepper diced
- 1 pound lean ground turkey
- ⅔ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce more to taste
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- Sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Scrub the potatoes and pierce several times with a sharp knife. Rub with the oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the seasoned potatoes directly on the rack in the oven. Bake 30 minutes. Flip the potatoes over and bake for another 20 to 30 minutes. A knife should easily pierce the potatoes. Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board.
- While the potatoes are baking, place a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the onion and jalapeno pepper. Sauté for 6 to 8 minutes or until the vegetables for tender.
- Add the ground turkey to the pan. Cook until it is no longer pink and is cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Be sure to break up the turkey into small pieces as it is cooking.
- Add the ketchup, brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and mustard. Continue cooking and stirring occasionally for an additional 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Slice the potatoes open and fluff the inside with a fork. Divide the turkey mixture evenly between the potatoes. Top with the shredded cheese.
- Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and return to the oven for about 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese is melted.
- Remove the potatoes from the oven and sprinkle with the scallions.
- Serve immediately with the sour cream.
Jessica says
Just made these potatoes for dinner, and they were a hit! The potatoes came out perfectly fluffy, and the turkey filling was flavorful and satisfying. It was an excellent way to elevate a simple baked potato into a complete meal.
Amy Casey says
I'm so glad you enjoyed the recipe Jessica. This is a fun way to serve sloppy joes.
Donna says
I made this for my family and it was sooo yummy! I substituted pepper jack cheese for the cheddar, since that’s what I had on hand, and it gave it a kick that made it even yummier in my opinion. Thanks for making this recipe available!
Amy Casey says
I'm so glad your family enjoyed my recipe Donna. And I love the idea of using pepper jack cheese ~ thanks for sharing!